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A new e-reader is entering the US market — welcome the DuRoBo Krono e-reader

Move over Kindle , a new bombshell has entered the e-reader field. DuRoBo's Krono e-reader is coming to the United States and European markets in 2026, and it's all kicking off at CES . The  Krono e-reader  — or, as DuRoBo calls it, an ePaper Focus Hub — is a power-packed device coming with a lot more power than you're used to. Measuring 6.1 inches, it's a nearly pocket-sized device, smaller than even the basic Kindle . All of its controls are housed in its smart dial, which, in addition to letting you navigate menus and adjust settings, also records voice notes on your command. It features a Carta 1200 HD display with 300 ppi resolution, notably the same resolution you'll find on Kindles. In addition to reading books, browse the internet and listen to music on the Krono. Credit: DuRoBo What really stands out about the Krono e-reader is its 128GB of storage space. We're used to seeing e-readers max out at 32GB, and now the Krono is quadrupling that. Bu...

Clean up the internet for your whole household for just $15.97

TL;DR: AdGuard’s Family Plan is available for $15.97 for lifetime access with code FAMPLAN. Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97 $169.99 Save $154.02   Get Deal If each of us had a dollar for every ad we saw online, we’d all be swimming in money by now. The average person is exposed to thousands of ads a day, and they’re practically unavoidable — especially if you live online. Pop-ups, autoplay videos, cookie banners, and targeted ads pile up fast, and that clutter multiplies when several people are using multiple devices under one roof. AdGuard’s Family Plan is designed to block much of that noise at the source, and its lifetime license is currently priced at just $15.97. If it ever feels like the internet knows a little too much about you, you’re not imagining things. Ads that follow you from site to site and trackers quietly collecting data in the background can make browsing feel less like exploration...

Satya Nadella starts blogging about AI, wants to move the conversation beyond "slop"

Nadella's first post is not about new software releases or quarterly performance. Instead, it addresses the cultural and technical limits of how AI is understood and applied. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/C9JfNWP via

This refurbished MacBook Air costs less than most tablets at under $200

TL;DR: This refurbished 2017 MacBook Air is on sale for $199.97 (reg. $999), offering a reliable Apple laptop for work, school, and everyday use at a fraction of its original price. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 2017 (Refurbished) $199.97 $999 Save $799.03   Get Deal Buying a brand-new MacBook Air at full price isn’t always realistic — especially when everyday expenses already feel like they’re doing the most. The good news is that you don’t actually need the latest model to get the familiar Apple experience. Right now, a refurbished MacBook Air is available for $199.97 . If your laptop needs revolve around work, school, streaming, or general day-to-day browsing, this new-to-you MacBook Air still checks a lot of boxes. Sure, it’s a 2017 model, but it remains a dependable machine for common tasks like writing papers, answering emails, attending video calls, and managing spreadsheets. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get...

The FCC chair will speak at CES. Will he address the DJI drone ban?

CES is normally a place for big tech news, but this year's show could add a dash of political intrigue to the mix. At 11 a.m. on Thursday in Las Vegas, the annual Consumer Electronics Show will act as the venue for a "fireside chat" between Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro, FCC chairman Brendan Carr, and FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson. Carr's involvement is key here because the FCC recently banned the sale of drones from the Chinese firm DJI, which manufactures a large majority of consumer drones on the market. The big question here is will Carr address the DJI drone ban at CES? It would certainly be an appropriate venue for it, given the tech-focused nature of the event. However, the description of the fireside chat is incredibly vague, promising only "candid conversations on how [the FCC and FTC] are navigating the rapidly changing tech landscape." There's no mention of a Q&A or anything like that, so it's very possible that...

Instagram Reels went from TikTok clone to a $50 billion business for Meta

Meta's Reels began as a hasty response to TikTok's viral dominance. Five years later, the company's short-form video product has become one of its most significant revenue engines – expected to generate as much as Coca-Cola or Nike – and is now expanding to television screens. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/7Is3tyh via

xAI admits that Grok generated images of minors in minimal clothing, part of a larger problem with deepfakes

This week, X users noticed that the platform's AI chatbot Grok will readily generate nonconsensual sexualized images, including those of children. Mashable reported on the lack of safeguards around sexual deepfakes when xAI first launched Grok Imagine in August. The generative AI tool creates images and short video clips, and it specifically includes a "spicy" mode for creating NSFW images. While this isn't a new phenomenon, the building backlash forced the Grok team to respond. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. "There are isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing," Grok's X account posted on Thursday. It also stated that the team has identified " lapses in safeguards " and is "urgently fixing them." xAI technical staff member, Parsa Tajik, made a similar statement on his personal account: "The team is looking into furth...

Pickle AR Glasses seem to promise a real-life version of Jarvis. The internet is skeptical.

There's a new pair of AI-powered AR glasses on the block — the Pickle 1. According to Pickle Inc., these AR glasses use cameras, microphones, sensors, and artificial intelligence to observe, remember, and even anticipate a user's daily life. It's intended to function as part traditional wearable, part AI companion. After learning about you, the Pickle 1 glasses will then serve up real-time information, reminders, and suggestions, according to Digit . And here's how Pickle Inc. describes its futuristic AR glasses on its website : "For a life better in every dimension, we need an intelligence that sees with you, remembers your life, and learns to understand you. A new soul." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Giving birth to a new soul is a big enough claim on its own, but the promo video for the Pickle AR glasses also shows a level of augmented reality that's far ahead of brands like Meta and Xreal, which alrea...

PlayStation 5 ROM keys may be out in the wild, opening new possibilities for emulation

The new year is already delivering an unexpected jolt for emulation and console modding fans. According to multiple reputable sources, the PS5's most deeply buried secret keys have surfaced online, potentially offering developers and researchers a powerful new foundation for future experimentation. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/bfnJCTR via

Hurdle hints and answers for January 2, 2026

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown. An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle. If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered. SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint Insulting. SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBoo...

OpenAI's employee compensation dwarfs every major tech IPO of the past 25 years

Internal financial disclosures show that OpenAI is distributing more equity per employee than any major technology startup on record. Its stock-based compensation – averaging roughly $1.5 million per worker across a staff of about 4,000 – far exceeds the benchmarks set by historical peers, according to data the company shared with investors. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/OQ84xgm via

Public Domain Day 2026 list: Betty Boop, Disney cartoons, classic books, and more

Fans of the 1930s character Betty Boop can rejoice as a precursor of the iconic cartoon is now in the public domain, as of Jan. 1, 2026. That means anyone can adapt that specific version of Betty Boop, which appeared in the Dizzy Dishes cartoon , into their own creative work without being subject to copyright laws. This version of Betty Boop featured her characteristic large eyes and pout but also had elongated dog ears. Her romantic interest at the time was a dog chef, hence her surreal canine appearance. SEE ALSO: Yes, Popeye can eat spinach: Everything you need to know about Public Domain Day 2025 In 2026, Betty Boop is joined in the public domain by other popular characters, books, films, and songs, including new Mickey Mouse cartoons and comics; the Blondie comic strip characters Blondie and Dagwood; William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying , the illustrated version of Watty Piper's children's book The Little Engine That Could ; the film All Quiet on the West...

A microwave-sized factory is now running in space and can hit 1,000°C

The company's prototype, launched aboard a SpaceX rocket in the summer, is designed to test how the space environment can enhance material performance. In microgravity, semiconductor atoms can form into a near-perfect crystalline structure, while the vacuum above Earth virtually eliminates contamination from airborne particles. The combination promises to yield... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/8lq3iUE via

How to watch Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve to ring in 2026

The best deals for watching 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' without cable: Watch live for free YouTube TV free 2-day trial, then $72.99 per month for 3 months (save $30) Get Deal Watch live for free Fubo TV Pro Plan free 7-day trial, then $48.99 for your first month (save $25) Get Deal Watch live for free Hulu + Live TV free 3-day trial Get Deal Watch the next day Hulu with ads annual subscription $119.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal Ringing in the new year from your couch this year? You certainly aren't alone — especially with the all-star lineup of performers from Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on hand to assist in the countdown to midnight. The party is bigger than ever this year, as the New Year's Rockin' Eve special will be broadcast from multiple cities and time zones. Special co-hosts from beyond New York City and 42 different performers will join the festivities...

Doom can now run as your Windows screen saver

Developer Wiaam Suleiman recently released Doom Screen Saver, a lighthearted project that turns Doom into a fully functional Windows screen saver. Everything the tool needs is packed into a single .scr file, a portable format that remains in use for modern versions of Windows, even if it has long since... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/OarmMoX via

Last chance to score a month of DirecTV for $50: NFL playoff games live, plus Disney+ and Hulu

SAVE $40: Through Jan. 6, DirecTV's Signature Entertainment streaming package is only $49.99 for your first month (regularly $89.99/month). The package includes 90 channels plus Disney+ and Hulu (with ads), an extra savings of $19.99. Opens in a new window Credit: DirecTV First month of DirecTV Signature Entertainment streaming package $49.99 $89.99 Save $40.00   Get Deal While the Sling TV day pass is a great hack for watching sports on ESPN, there's a major hole in coverage when it comes to the sports that are on broadcast channels like FOX and CBS — so, pretty much the entire NFL playoff schedule. In that case, the next hack up is DirecTV's rare holiday deal : Get your first month of DirecTV's Signature Entertainment Package with 90 channels for just $49.99 ($40 off its usual $89.99/month). SEE ALSO: Best 65-inch+ TVs for watching in dark and bright rooms The promo, which has been running since mid-December , is finally closing out on...